Jyak & Lym is a Peranakan restaurant and cocktail bar on Soi Suan Phlu in Sathorn, bringing the bold, layered flavours of Penang to a beautifully designed five-floor shophouse in the heart of Bangkok.
The Story
The name says it all: jyak means “eat” and lym means “drink” in Penang Hokkien. The restaurant was founded by Jonathan Goh, a banker-turned-restaurateur who left the finance world to do something he loved — cooking the food he grew up with. He found a shophouse on Soi Suan Phlu by chance, drawn to Sathorn as a neighbourhood he knew well, and Jyak & Lym was born. It is one of the very few restaurants in Bangkok serving genuine Nyonya cuisine — also known as Peranakan or Straits Chinese — a tradition that blends Chinese, Malay, and Indonesian influences into something distinctly its own.
The Space
The restaurant spans five floors, each designed to immerse diners in the vibrant culture of Malaysia and Batik. Every level has its own character, building a sense of discovery as you move through the space. The fourth floor houses a full-service bar that seats 20 and can double as a private dining space. It’s one of the more visually striking interiors on the street — part neighbourhood restaurant, part cultural statement.
The Food
Peranakan cooking is known for its balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy, and Jyak & Lym honours that tradition with dishes rooted in family recipes. The Pie Tee — crispy handmade shells filled with vegetables and topped with a grilled prawn — is a standout starter. The Beef Rendang is slow-cooked to deep, yielding tenderness. The Nasi Lemak arrives with fragrant rice and its full complement of accompaniments. The Asam Laksa is built on a tamarind-soured mackerel broth, finished with cucumber, pineapple, onion, and prawn paste — closely following the Penang original. Ingredients are sourced locally where possible, with key items like belachan imported directly from Malaysia.
The Bar
The cocktail menu draws on Malaysian flavours for drinks that pair naturally with the food. The teh tarik — Malaysia’s beloved pulled milk tea — has drawn consistent praise on its own. It’s a bar menu with a clear sense of place.
Bringing Your Dog
Jyak & Lym is fully dog-friendly. Located on the same stretch of Soi Suan Phlu as Popote, it makes for a natural pairing on a longer Sathorn walk — lunch at one end, dinner at the other, with your dog welcome at both.
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